Latent TB testing in the UK, accessible text version
Updated 21 February 2020
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Your chest x-ray shows that you do not have TB in your lungs. This is good news. You can now apply for your UK visa, remembering to include your TB clearance certificate.
However, it is important to know that you could develop TB after you arrive in the UK.
This is because 1 in 4 people have TB bacteria asleep in their bodies – known as ‘latent TB’. Latent TB cannot be seen on a chest x-ray, so you might have latent TB in your body without knowing. Latent TB can wake up at any time in the future and make you ill. However it is more likely to wake up and make you ill during your first few years living in the UK.
| Active TB | Latent TB |
|---|---|
| Symptoms: cough, fever, weight loss, loss of appetite, night sweats, tiredness | You have a 1 in 10 chance of developing active TB |
| TB bacteria are ‘awake’ | TB bacteria are ‘asleep’ |
| You will feel unwell | You do not feel unwell |
| You could pass TB on | You cannot pass TB on |
TB Alert is the UK’s national TB charity, working with Public Health England and the National Health Service to look after the health of communities affected by TB. Find out more about latent TB at www.thetruthabouttb.org/latent-tb.
Fortunately, latent TB can be treated with antibiotics before it can make you ill…
After you arrive in the UK you can register with a National Health Service (NHS) family doctor called a General Practitioner or ‘GP’. Your GP might offer you a blood test to checkif you have latent TB. If you have latent TB you will be offered treatment to help kill the bacteria and protect your future health. The test and treatment are confidential and free of charge, and will not affect your visa status or your right to stay in the UK. Keep this leaflet safe to remind you to register with a GP, or to see a doctor quickly if you develop symptoms of TB.
Find your nearest GP at www.thetruthabouttb.org/FindaGP